Love Almost Lost
by the-supernatural-way
Summary: AU. Born-a-girl-Merlin! Something happens to Merlin, but will anyone find her in time to save her? Set in Ealdor. M because I'm paranoid.


_Hey guys, new story! I've been working on this for a while now, but today I finally sat down and finished it. Hope you enjoy!_

_Warnings: violence, attempted non-con._

**W&M**

"Hey shove off will ya!" Both teenagers laughed, filling the warm, summers silence.

"Nah-ah Will! I'm not letting this go. Ever! I'll remind you of it everyday if I have too!" The girl lightly teases, knowing he won't take it to heart.

"Fine, Merlin, fine! But you know, I could just tell the whole village of th-" Will was cut off by the yell of "YOU WOULDN'T YOU SWORE!"

He lightly chuckled. "Alright, but pleeeaaaasssseeee don't tell anyone, not even your mother yeah?" He was actually nervous, hoping word wouldn't get around of his... accident.

"Sure William, I won't tell anyone that you fell and ripped your pants on a rock." Giggling followed the statement, and a blush formed on Will's cheeks. It wasn't that he'd ripped them necessarily, it was _where. _

"Promise?" He mumbled.

"Pinky promise." She held out her pinky towards Will, who then did the same and they connected. They let go and started laughing.

"We're so lame sometimes. But I love us for it!" Merlin announced between laughs.

Will nodded, agreeing, and reached out his hand towards her. She fully grasped it, somewhat tightly, and they fell into a peaceful silence. They were walking, returning from a morning at the river near their town of Ealdor. Their shoulders bumped on the walk, as they were the same height, same age, 16. Gentle smiles graced their faces, thinking about one another. They had reached the forest now; trees littered the area surrounding them. Tall ones, short ones. They continued their journey on blissful peace, knowing it would be full on when they returned to the village. Lost in thought, Merlin didn't notice where she was stepping, and tripped on a fallen branch. But Will was paying attention and quickly grabbed her around the waist before she could finish her plummet. After they steadied, Merlin glanced up at Will and quickly blushed, ducking her head down. Two fingers slid under her chin and lifted it up, so she was face to face with Will. He quickly smiled, and leant down so he could lightly place his lips on hers. Blushing even more, Merlin quickly leaned closer and kissed him more. Their bodies were almost touching, millimetres from each other now, Merlin's hands rested on Wills neck and his hands cupped Merlin's ever-present cheekbones. Once the need for oxygen became intense, the broke apart, gleeful smiles filling their faces.

"You okay?" Will asked, worried she hurt herself when she tripped.

"Yeah, all better now." She smiled cheekily. Will then, tentatively slid an arm around her waist, basking in the closeness, but also hoping to protect his Merlin from tripping over anymore, as she was a natural at being clumsy. Merlin lent in to the hold and they began to walk again.

Within minutes they had arrived at the edge if the village. Sliding out of the embrace, Merlin turned to Will.

"I've got to go find Mother, jobs and all. You should go home, and quickly," she smirked "before anyone notices."

Will smiled wider. "I'm glad you said something, with all that distracting I nearly forgot," He hugged her then, glad she immediately hugged back. "Meet me at the tree afterwards yeah?" He asked.

This caused Merlin to laugh. Ah, the tree. So many memories were tied to that spot. Including how they first got together.

_In the woods surrounding Ealdor, in one spring afternoon, could find the two teens, resting after a hard days work. Both were exhausted, and carefully sat in its limbs, unaware at how tightly pressed up together they were, as the branch had a slop__e,__ so they slid together. After working in the fields and then climbing the tree, they had felt tired, and as soon as they were comfortable, they found themselves falling asleep. _

_Merlin had awoken first, the first chill of the night rousing her. She was embarrassed to admit that he was actually sleeping on Will, but it didn't mean she didn't like it. Coming from a fourteen year only mind, it was a little odd, and daunting. The loss of Merlin's presence on Will seemed to wake him from his fitful sleep as he too awoke. He turned to face her then, a pink tint slowly creeping up his neck. Will had just turned fifteen six days ago._

_Neither said anything for a few minutes until they looked at each other and burst out into a fit of giggles. When they calmed down, Merlin, strangely, lent back again onto Will, seeming to find a sort if comfort there. And as Will hadn't pushed her off, she as it as a good sign. _

_"S-Sorry for sleeping on you." She mumbled, nerves flitting in her stomach. He just chuckled, a sound that vibrated through her body. _

_"It's fine," he told her, then added quietly "it was nice." He turned his head __away__; as if he was embarrassed to admit it to her, but she just tilted it back to look at her. _

_"I thought it was nice too... you're quite comfortable." This evoked a laugh from the boy, as he seemed to relax. _

_"Is it... is it strange that I enjoyed it?" He asked. _

_Merlin pondered it for a bit. "No...well I don't think so? No, I'd say it wasn't. Cause I enjoyed it too. I feel safe when I'm with you." She hadn't meant to say the last part, it sort of slipped out. Merlin was freaking, what if she had just ruined everything, whatever this even was? _

_She turned away from __W__ill__'s __comfortable body and shuffled to the edge of the branch. A hand on her side stunned her momentarily, she found herself being gently turned back around. She looked at Wills face and gasped, see__m__ing to notice for the first time, his boyish good looks, cheeky smile, crinkles next to his eyes when he laughed, the pure intensity of his eyes, as if they glanced into her very essence. _

_She saw Will studying her too, and wondered what he saw, __what he __thought. Suddenly self-conscious, she broke the eye contact and looked down at herself. She was just dressed in what she wore almost everyday. Blue shirt, black pants, and red neckerchief fastened around her neck. None of the other girls in the village wore pants, like a boy or man, they wore dresses. But she wouldn't, she refused. They weren't __**practical**__. She worked on a farm! It was just be annoying and uncomfortable. But, what if Will saw her as just a mate? Not like the girls who were pretty in their dresses, maybe he thought they were beautiful. Hey, hold on? When had she cared what Will thought of her appearance? Was it just now, when she looked into his eyes? Or was it a while ago? As she thought she came to the conclusion that it was a gradual thing. She began to notice her interest, as she took longer to choose what to wear for the day, knowing she would see Will. Took time deciding what to do with her hair. These thoughts caused her to gasp. Feelings, for Will? A boy she'd known since birth? The troublemaker, the rowdy one? But also the caring one, the trustworthy one, as he had kept her magic secret safe for her for the past 3 years. She smiled at that, knowing that it was hard for him, but he still managed to keep it from everyone. _

_A palm at her cheek snapped her out of her fast thoughts. "Merlin?" Another gasp, realising the huskiness of his voice, the softness and challenging edge. She looked back up, and that was it. Everything added together, his eyes, his voice, his personality, and her decision was made. Merlin pushed out her arms and rested them on his chest. "Merlin wha-" Will started but was cut off by a quick "I'm sorry!" and a light pressure against his lips. Merlin had to do it! It just felt so right! Nerves bundled and grew as she couldn't feel Will returning her kiss, so, she broke it. "I'm sorry Will! B-But I had to! I realised my f-feelings and I- just had to! Will oh gods I've messed everything up now, I'm sorry! Plea-" Rough lips cut __**her**__ off now, surprising her enough to almost fall off the branch, but Will grabbed her waist keeping them pushed together. Merlin gasped then, creating an entrance for Will, and he tentatively pushed his tongue in. It was a messy kiss to say the least. It was both their first kiss, so both were confused at what to do and inexperienced but it worked, for __**them**__. Air became a necessity so the sadly broke apart, their first ever kiss. The teens still had their eyes closed, slightly frightened of the others reaction. _

_Minutes dragged on. _

_Neither said a word, but neither pulled away from their odd embrace either, and after a bit, both relaxed into it, finally realising that it was okay. A loud call echoing in the forest made the pair jump, and look around, realising how late it was. The first stars were appearing in the night sky, only the moonlight and the light of fires from the village were keeping each other visible. The call came again. "Merlin? Time to come home!" Ah! Hunith! Merlin and Will looked at each other quickly, seeing the acceptance in each face. Both smiled then and started descending the tree. The pair landed on the flat earth, and ran towards the village. _

_When they arrived, no-one was insight, but they figured Hunith just went back inside, as it was chilly now. "I-uh... I'll see you later?" Merlin asked, hoping, wishing, __**dreaming**__ the answer would be yes. Will laughed then, not a teasing laugh, a good laugh, a laugh that makes the listener feel safe and welcome._

_"Yeah, I really want to see you later." He admitted and sneakily leant in, quickly pecked Merlin's lips once more, before running home_.

She sighed happily as she thought back to that night. "Yeah, I'll meet you at _our _tree later." She pulled out of the hug and kissed him fully in the lips. Seconds later they broke apart and smiled. Merlin left to go find her mother and Will to find some pants.

**W&M**

The door squeaked as she opened it, and she entered the room, looking for her Mother. She appeared from around the corner, and a smile lit her face as she saw her daughter.

"Merlin dear, it's time to go help Mr Silver with his fence." She reported and left the room to change her headscarf, which had become sweaty after the days activities.

Merlin groaned but went and collected the things they'd need to help put up the fence. 5 minutes later, they were on there way, Mr Silver lived on the other side of the small town, so it would only be a little while to walk. On the way, they walked in silence, soaking in the nice weather, and not needing to talk. When they arrived, Hunith went to the front door and Merlin went to the little yard, willing to get started. The quicker she starts, the sooner she can go see Will. She started a system, dig, place, nail, repeat. Merlin hardly noticed when her mother joined in the pattern. Soon, the fence was halfway done. It was late afternoon when a startled shout could be heard from the village. This snapped both Hunith and Merlin out of the ritual. The yell sounded again, this time closer. A woman came running from around the corner, somewhat hysterical.

"Hunith! Hunith, we need you! My son, he's injured please, we need all the help we can get." She half-choked out.

Hunith nodded. "Alright, I'm coming now. Merlin, you'll be okay here?" She quickly asked, gathering her belongings.

"Yeah, almost done now anyway." She smiled and nodded to her mother as she left the field, running toward the village. Sighing, she turned back to the task. She actually lied to her mother, there was a lot more work to be done, but she didn't want her mother to feel bad about leaving her there to work alone. Merlin started the process once more, and worked for another 3 hours without a distraction. When it first hit nightfall, Merlin heard muffled sounds coming from near the barn just around the bend. Wondering what it would be, Merlin put down the post she was holding and started to walk towards the barn, through the crop fields, as it was the easiest and fastest way. As she approached, the saw two figures, one up against the side of the barn. The other was forcefully holding them up. The voices became louder and she could now pinpoint that there was a man and a woman. Specifically, Judy Rodgers and Sean McGregor. And that was _bad _news. You see, Sean is the village drunk, but instead of being hilarious and funny when he'd had a few, he was angry and violent. And Judy, she was tall, blonde, one of the girls in the village who never contributed to doing the hard labour, being to prissy for it. She had no physical strength to fight off an attack of a well-muscled abusive man. Curing silently, Merlin ran closer. She hid behind a particularly tall crop, hoping to be well out of sight. She could now tell what was being spoken.

"Stop, please, please, please. Lemme go!"

"Sh-hut up bit-tch." This was punctuated by a particularly hard slap to Judy's face, making Merlin wince.

"Just don't please... Not me, anyone but me." She sobbed openly, this time cut off by a meaty hand over her mouth.

"I said shut UP!" He threw her on the floor now, and once she recovered, she scrambled backwards, but Sean was faster. He soon reached her and grabbed her wrists with one hand, covering her mouth again with the other. "No sc-screamin, right sweetheart. It will only make things worse."

Merlin had heard enough and quickly jumped into action. "_HEY_! GET AWAY FROM HER, NOW!"

Sean's head whipped up at the yell, and Judy wiggled in the grip, trying to escape.

"Leave her alone!" Merlin stomped forwards, almost reaching the pair.

Sean jumped up, forgetting about Judy, now totally focused on Merlin. Judy jumped and quickly ran, not even looking back to see if Merlin was all right, totally focused on herself. "Like usual." Merlin mumbled to herself.

"Happy, Mer-lin?" Sean slurred, creeping closer to her. This prompted Merlin to take a few quick steps back.

"Not exactly, just go home Sean, please." She tried to persuade him, not enjoying the attention she was getting. _At least Judy is safe_, she reasoned with herself.

"Not happenin'. You know what Merlin? I like you. I r'lly do," he stumbled forwards. "You're always happy, smilin' with dat boy of yours, Will. He makes me sooo jealous. I mean... you're pretty, and I've always wanted...y-you," this caused Merlin to shudder, not wanting to hear what he confessed next. "To just t-take you... You're too bloody innocent for your own g-good... You need-d something like me. " He grabbed her arm now, painfully so, and Merlin gasped. His drunken haze had now turned into anger.

"Stop, Sean, you don't want to do this."

"Oh but Merlin, I do... I think about you all the time. You're so skinny, so pale. I could break you so easily, like a t-twig you are. Think of all the marks I could leave? How many bruises you'd have..." He pulled her closer, and she tried to fight off the vice-like grip, but to no avail.

"I've wanted this for a v-very long time. You need this Merlin, you're to... Pure. You need me, you n-need me." He lashed out then, punching her square in the jaw. She would have fallen if it weren't for the grip he kept. Sean slapped her, causing her lip to split. He let go, and Merlin stumbled backward, holding up her arms in front of her face. She wanted to just use her magic, knock him out and run away. But she knew that was stupid, for 2 reasons. 1... someone could see. It was dark now so she couldn't tell if anyone else was around. And 2... There is a reason Sean is a drunkard. 5 years ago, when Sean was 16, he saw not just his family, or his friends, but his entire village killed by magic. A group of sorcerers/bandits had rode through the village, and because it had been within Camelot, they destroyed everything and everyone they could. Sean was just returning from a lone hunting trip when he saw everything up in flames. He ran in the direction of home and was just in time to hear the screams of his mother, father, and baby sister as they died in the flames, trapped in the house. All around him was destruction, and by the time he snapped out of his almost comatose state, the bandits had left. He showed up in Ealdor 2 years ago, traveling from town to town, staying until he got bored or they kicked him out. No-one knew why he stayed here, and no-one was willing to make him leave, as the whole small village was terrified of him, knowing what he was capable of. This was the main reason Merlin didn't use magic, knowing that if he didn't die, not that she wanted to kill him, or get knocked unconscious, that he would kill Merlin, as he loathes magic users.

Sean smirked as he looked down at her, he was much taller, and raised his hand again, now hitting her other cheek. Merlin looked up to see his face and looked into his eyes. What she saw there she didn't want to see again, ever. Deep anger sat in them, as well as lust. She knew she was in trouble, he clearly wanted her, and was going to take her by force. Without her magic, she couldn't do a thing to stop him. She was only 16 after all, he had 5 years on her, plus height, muscle, and drunken rage. She had no chance in hell. Merlin turned and ran, seeing no way out. She hoped he would give up, or fall over and hurt himself, but neither happened. It seemed Sean was very co-ordinated whilst intoxicated. She ran through the crop fields, and was almost at Mr Silvers yard when a hand shot out and grabbed her ankle, making her fall on her chest. Breath left her body and couldn't fight it when hands turned her over. Her breathing was back now but she had much bigger problems. Sean loomed over her, his gaze wandering up and down her body. It was pitch black outside now, torchlight and the moon were the only source of light. But it was enough. She squirmed beneath his touch, but that only seemed to amuse Sean.

"There's no gettin' out of this one Mer-lin. You're _mine_." He whispered, the words creeping down her back, making her involuntarily shiver at the possessiveness in his voice.

His face was inches from her now, they were practically breathing the same air. She wanted to yell, scream for help, but she knew it would do no good. They were to far away for anyone from the village to hear her, and Mr Silver was deaf as a doorknob. Instead, she squeezed her eyes shut, nerves wracking her body. She was scared, she couldn't stop him if she wanted to make it out of this alive. Merlin tried to turn her head but a cold hand yanked her hair and gripped it tight.

"Uh-uh Merlin, there's no hidin from me." He slapped her over and over until she got the idea to open her eyes, as that seemed to be what he wanted. He slapped once more before smirking and removing his hand from her hair. Blood now came from her nose as well as two more splits in her lips. It ran down her face, over her chin and came down to tickle her neck, getting lost in her Neckerchief. Sean watched, seeming amazed at the amount of blood, but when his gaze hit the Neckerchief, his eyes narrowed and he none-to-gently, ripped it off. The fabric at her neck brought up Merlin's head, and when the knot snapped, her head smacked into the dusty floor, leaving her dazed and seeing stars. Seizing the opportunity, Sean straddled Merlin, one of his knees either side of Merlin's legs. He gripped her upper arms, hard enough to leave severe bruises. Merlin snapped back to reality, pulling at her arms but only hurting herself more. Panting, she lay still. Seeing as she calmed, Sean moved one of his rough hands off her arm and to her shirt. Merlin cringed away from the touch, but Sean didn't notice. At first he seemed hesitant, like he was thinking all this over, but that was gone quick enough and the venom returned to his face. He slowly ran his hands up and down her body, over the shirt, before lifting the hem and sliding his hand under to touch her heated skin. Merlin whimpered and Sean's head turned to look at her. Seeing how utterly scared she was, his smirk grew and he continued his ministrations. His hand slid higher until he was cupping the underside of her breast. Sean's hand lingered for a moment, before moving toward the other, satisfied with the trembles he could feel coming from the girl who lay beneath him.

He always liked it when they shook, trembled, or bucked. It made him remember that they are real people, and they are under his control, to do as he pleases. It makes him enjoy it all the more, knowing how frightened his girls were. Yes, he'd done this before, many times in fact. But this? This will be his greatest achievement yet. Because this was Merlin. Beautiful, clumsy, too-pure Merlin. Her's was the first face he saw when he first stepped foot in this little village, and she looked over to him, and smiled. She was the only one who did, and it made Sean realise how perfect she was. How much he needed her-no, she needed _him_. Not Will, not anyone else, him. From that day, he had somewhat of an obsession, watching her, eavesdropping on conversations, following her home. He tried to bed her many times, but she never understood. She too young to understand maybe, to oblivious. She never saw his invites as advances, but she always politely declined none the same. Why? He always seemed to ask himself after every rejection. Was it the drinking? Was he not good looking enough for her? Was he too old? After a while though, the questions stopped buzzing in his mind, as he began to realise that she just hadn't seen it yet, how perfect they would be together. He needed patience, to wait...that was 7 months ago and he was tired of the waiting, he was angry now and he didn't care if he hurt her, broke her, because she needed to understand that they were meant to be. He wanted-needed her right _now. _And she was going to learn any way possible.

Tears filled Merlin's eyes as she saw the emotions ranging across Sean's face. Pride, lust, determination. She saw the conformation written on his face, she knew that he wasn't going to back off, leave her here and run. No, he was going through with this, all the way. The tears spilled now as the hands moved faster, pinching and tugging and caressing. The other grip moved and clutched the hem of her shirt, big hands pushing it up her body. She tried to back away, but her lower body was pinned by Sean's weight on her hips. Sean roughly grabbed Merlin's long hair and pulled her up, toward him. She let out a cry, causing the grip to go harder. His other hand pushed her blue shirt up her body, to her underarms. He let go of her hair and shoved the shirt up her arms, over her head, throwing it away from him and Merlin. His eyes roamed hungrily over her half-naked body, and she released more tears. Why, oh why did this have to be difficult? Why couldn't he be a drunkard who would pass out at any minute? Someone who didn't hate magic with a burning passion? She squeaked in pain as she felt his weight move backwards. She glanced at his hands and saw he was undoing her belt. He threw that too, and then chuckled, somewhat manically.

"W-what?" She felt the need to ask.

He smiled at her, as she was still oblivious as ever. "Don' you see? This will be perfect-t... I r'lly shoul' have done it ages ago... Never mind, we're 'ere now. I've wanted this for so long Merlin, ever since I first came 'ere," Seeing the surprise written on her features, he asked "Do you know why I stay here Merlin? Why I don't move on to another village?"

She shook her head, unable to give a worded answer.

"Everyone in Ealdor wonders why I never left... It's 'cause of you, the thin's you do to me, the feelin' I experience whenever I see you. I've wanted this for 2 years... Now it's finally happenin'." He looked away from her, smirking as he reached for her pants.

"No."

He froze, sharply looking back up. He looked at Merlin, expecting to see only fear. But instead he saw defiance, sadness, and pity. That last one really got to him. He didn't want her pity, doesn't she get it yet? He thought once he did this, they could be together. But if she was going to look at him with _pity_... Oh no, he could let that happen.

"YES." He undid the button on her pants, stood up swiftly, yanked off her boots and ripped off her pants. If he could hear, he would have heard sobs, pleas for him to stop, but he couldn't. All he could hear was the pounding of blood, rattling his brain. How _dare_ she!? She NEEDED him, how can she not see that as clear as day? They were made for each other, and she only sends him pity. He swears colourfully, she will regret this.

He crashed back on top of her, his hands rubbing her naked legs, going from feet to thighs. Sean's hands slid inwards, as he stroked her inner thighs, leaning his pelvis on her knees, and she could feel his erection through his pants. Cries escaped Merlin, as she saw absolutely no way out of this. She only wishes Will could help her. She needs him more then she ever had before. She shuts her eyes, trying to escape her hopefully-temporary hell. Sean lashes out, sending punches to Merlins stomach area. Why wouldn't she listen?! She couldn't shut her eyes, he needed her to see what he did to her. After sending more punches, and her eyes still not opening, he shouted.

"OPEN YOUR EYES!"

She did immediately, and tears flooded her vision.

"Enough of this... I need you, now." With that, he stands on his knees, undoing his own pants and pulling them down. He leans back over her, reaching for her undergarments.

That's when it's snaps for Merlin- or more specifically, Merlin's magic. It knows it's user is in desperate need of assistance, even if she wants it or not. It sends out a strong wave towards the threat.

Merlin had no knowledge of her magic's 'help' until it was too late. The wave pulsed out of her and straight into Sean, who let out a cry before landing in his back, away from her. Frustrated at her magic -yet also terribly, terribly relieved- she took her chance, quickly grabbing her shirt and pants, leaving the belt and Neckerchief behind for it would take to long to find them, she dashed as fast as she could. Merlin's abused body soon tired, aching and sore from Sean's fists and ministrations. She pushed through though, and soon made it to the new fence line at Mr Silvers. She shoved her arms into her sleeves and pulled it over her head, and as she was about to put her pants back on, a strong hand snaked around her waist, pulling her away from her safety, making her drop the garment. Merlin didn't care anymore, she screamed, trying to get anyone's attention, anyone's help. A hand clamped over her mouth though, cutting her off mid-yell. She was spun around and very roughly shoved, landing on the ground, again, on her back. Fury simply radiated off Sean, his eyes no longer holding lust or love, simply hatred and betrayal.

"HOW. COULD. YOU. DO. THIS. TO. ME!" Each yelled word was punctuated by kicking at her side. He continued until something snapped quite loudly. He crouched down, looming over her. When Merlin only cried and didn't answer he yelled, "HOW COULD YOU!"

"Wha-at do-o y-y-y-ou-u m-mm-eaann?" She sobbed out, but already knowing the likely answer.

"HOW COULD YOU BETRAY ME LIKE THIS?! MAGIC?! I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS, YOU BITCH!" Strong, heavy punches rained down on Merlin's face, arms, chest, stomach and legs. She tried to protect herself but the energy soon drained from her. She was on the brink of unconscious when she felt those hands wrap around her throat, squeezing. She gasped and bucked and kicked.

"P-p-lea-a-s-s-s-e stop-p, Sea-an, plea-a-se-e." she begged, hoping to get through, knowing she wouldn't.

"No you traitor, I can't believe I actually LOVED you, you back-stabbing bitch, you deserve this, remember that as you CHOKE and DIE!" Sean's face wavered in Merlin's vision, black creeping around the edges.

She let out one more pained gasp, before her breathing stopped all together.

**W&M**

Will was waiting.

And he hated it.

Merlin, being Merlin, did occasionally show up late to different things.

But never this late.

A strange feeling sat in Will's gut, as he sat in _their_ tree, like something was wrong. He looked up, the sky had already darkened, traces of the stars appearing. A cold wind ripped through him, as he sat up on the trees limb. He was never cold up here normally, Merlin being pressed beside him kept him warm. He sighed, where was she? He should ask someone if they had seen her, Hunith maybe? Right.

Will climbed down the tree, being careful, not wanting to repeat what happened earlier in the day, now dubbed as the 'pants' incident. Once landed, he swiftly walked toward the village in search for his girlfriend's mother.

Will smiled, it still made him happy to say that, even after the years they have been together. He loved Merlin, he wasn't afraid to admit that, to anyone. Yeah, people have given them crap, for either being together too young or being _'freaks'_, which is an insult they often got, but nothing could stop this relationship. Whenever Will saw Merlin...he got butterflies. Not of nerves, but of love, adoration.

As he grew nearer to Merlin's house, he could hear loud chatting and moans of pain coming from a few houses down. Wondering what the commotion was -and if it was connected to Merlin not showing up- Will quickly walked to the front door. After knocking, he stepped inside, glancing for Merlin's familiar features, but was left disappointed when all he saw was a bleeding Toby and his frantic mother. He was about to leave when Hunith turned around a corner in the house.

"Oh, hello Will. What brings you here?" She asked him, as he stepped toward her.

"I was just wondering where Merlin was, she didn't show up tonight and as I was going to your house, I heard all this ruckus. I thought she might be here, but obviously not," He sighed. "Do you know where she is?"

"Last I saw of her, she was at Mr Silvers, putting up the last of his fence. I got called away to help Toby here. She should have been finished by now..." Hunith trailed off, worry covering her expression.

"Alright, I'll go have a look there for her. I'll see you later, Hunith." He quickly hugged her, and sped off, wanting to find Merlin right away.

The bad feeling was back with a vengeance. It nipped and clawed inside of him, and he knew it had to do with Merlin. He lightly jogged, hoping to get there faster.

What could have happened? Did she hurt herself? Fall over? Everyone knew she was prone to doing it. Or maybe they were over-reacting and she was on her way back now. He'd probably meet her halfway! There was _nothing_ to worry about.

Except there was.

He heard shouts. It spurred him a lot faster.

Will could distinguish what the voice was saying, and he did not like it one bit.

_**"-COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME"**_

_**"HOW COULD YOU!"**_

There was another voice, scared, quiet, feminine. A voice he could never forget. Merlin.

_**"Wha-at do-o y-y-y-ou-u m-mm-eaann?"**_

Oh Gods, she sounded so frightened. He had never heard her sound like that before, not even when she revealed her magic to him.

_"Will? Please, d-don't be mad. It's not that I don't trust you, okay? I was just scared, I didn't want you to ha-ate me. Please, please don't hate me."_

Will shook his head, shaking the memory away, now was not the time. Merlin needed his help. He ran towards the voices, mentally kicking himself for not already being closer.

Pained gasps and sobs filled the air, as well as the unmistakable sound of flesh hitting flesh.

_**"P-p-lea-a-s-s-s-e stop-p, Sea-an, plea-a-se-e."**_

Sean. Sean McGregor. He was hurting her. Hitting, abusing, _touching. _Will almost snarled in fury. He should not have his hands anywhere near his Merlin. Should never have even spoken to her. But here he was, being as violent as ever. Will now didn't care about Sean's ever-present rage, or his big, muscular frame. All he cared about was getting Merlin out of his hands. And he just saw red. Blood pumped and blocked his hearing, though he could feel the vibrations of his feet pounding on the dusty ground, his yell rumbling through his chest. He felt the hard _smack _as his body hit the other mans. Smelt the alcohol and blood wafting from him. It sent him further on edge. It was like he wasn't in control of his body anymore. Will felt the hits and kicks he gave, but his brain never sent that message to his body. He decided he didn't give a shit. The pain he'd feel would be nothing compared to what Merlin must be going through.

Merlin.

Oh Gods Merlin.

In his rage, he'd almost forgotten about the girl he loved. He immediately stopped his violence, noticing how Sean was so so still, and turning to find his Merlin.

And absolutely hated what he saw.

Merlin was lying, half naked, covered in dirt, muck, sweat, and worst of all, blood. Lots of blood. A thin trail ran down the side of her face, meeting up with the blood from her nose and mouth, including various cuts on her cheeks and lips. Her right eye was swollen, her lips were puffed and red, her nose was slightly wrong, and the bruises showed up so easily against the red and pale white that was Merlin's face. Tear tracks also ran down, combining with the blood. Handprints circled her neck, vivid grey's and purple's. Her arms were cut and bruised, as were her legs. Her hands were a mess, blood oozing from scratches, from ripped off nails, he could tell she fought her hardest. Under the tatters of her shirt, he could see the cuts from various rings and nails, as well as more bruises, covering almost her whole chest and stomach area. He could tell she wasn't breathing properly, hearing the wheeze coming from her chest. Will knelt down beside her, trying to keep the tears threatening to fall at bay. He carefully grabbed her most uninjured hand, needing a physical connection.

"W-will?" Merlin croaked, causing Will to jump.

"Hey Merlin, are you alright? Of course you aren't. Oh gods I'm so so sorry Merlin, this shouldn't have happened, never." Tears fell now, splashing onto Merlin's ruined blue shirt, her favourite. He'd have to buy her a new one.

"Shhh... It's okay now, I'm okay. You're...here, every thing's...okay..." Will could hear Merlin loosing her train of thought, passing into unconsciousness.

"No, Merlin I need you to stay awake, you hear me? Merlin," he lightly tapped her cheek, "Merlin!" But it was no use, she was out. Will just hoped she woke up again.

At that thought Will quickly scooped her up, not even considering a glance at the maniac who did this to his Merlin, and picked up her pants he saw lying close to her, and quickly put them on her. She was heavy, but nothing could stop him from getting her the help she desperately needed. Will jogged back to the main part of the village, toward Merlin's home, as Hunith would probably be back there by now, done helping Toby. As he approached the house, he could hear Merlin's breath growing quieter and quieter. He pushed himself further, into a run.

He frantically knocked on Merlin's front door with his foot, hoping Hunith was now inside. Shuffles could be heard inside as footsteps approached the door. He would open it himself, but his hands were a little full. Will sighed with sweet relief when the door did open, and a stunned Hunith stood there, seeing her little girl, all bruised and bloody. She quickly moved out of the way, and Will ran into the house. He placed her on the bed, and looked around for fresh water and cloth. Hunith seemed to realise this, and ran to get some from the table. She returned, handed some to Will, and they started cleaning.

No words were spoken that night, the only sounds heard were the strained breaths of Merlin, and the rushed, nervous ones of her loved ones. Tears were shed at different intervals but they worked continuously until the break of day.

Once they had done all they could, Will explained to Hunith what he saw, and held her as she cried. After that, he sent her to his house to sleep, promising that he'd watch over Merlin and come to her immediately if something was wrong.

So Will sat down, head in his hands, and waited for his love to awaken.

**W&M**

The first thing Merlin noticed was the feeling of floating.

Oh yes, she felt the pain too, but the feeling surrounding her made her feel safe, very safe, and warm. The hand gripping hers tightened as she felt consciousness approaching, her eyes refusing to open because of the bright light coming from the room. A few moments passed before Merlin felt the strength to open them, and when she did, she immediately noticed her mother, and Will.

Tired lines were present and a hopeful smile appeared upon Will's face when he saw that his love was awake. He had to force himself not to hug her with all his might, knowing how fragile her body would be feeling. Instead, he carefully moved around so that his arms circled her waist and brought his face to her neck, breathing deeply and reassuring himself that she was still here with him.

Her tired arms immediately wrapped themselves around Will's shoulders, leaning in to his reassuring presence. Her thoughts started going through what happened just the night before, but whispered words in her ear made her erratic mind pause.

"It's all okay now, I got you Merlin, he's gone now, it's okay."

With a rough voice, she asked, "What do you m-mean, gone?"

Will pulled his head away from her face to long at her mother. With a brief nod from Hunith, who very much looked like she wanted a hug of her own, Will turned back and with a sigh started explaining.

"A few of the men went out to Mr Silvers house early this morning to see if Sean was still there," Merlin tensed at his name, "…and he was."

"What do you mean, h-he couldn't have been out t-that whole time?" She was confused. _Could he possibly mean…?_

"He's d-dead, Merlin, I didn't mean to, b-but I must have h-hit him harder than I t-thought." Will explained, feeling annoyed at his emotions betraying him though his speech. It wasn't as if he liked the guy, and he was so incredibly happy that he wasn't going to bother anyone ever again, but that didn't mean his death wasn't heavy on his conscious.

Merlin's thoughts trailed down a similar path. _What would have happened if he had lived? Would he have come after me again? Would he have told people about my magic? _She couldn't help but feel relieved that he was dead, and she started to feel guilty about it.

Hunith observed the two, seeing the array of emotions on both of the youngers faces. She knew misplaced guilt when she saw it, and it was currently very easy to read from both Will and Merlin.

"Alright, you two, listen here. Nothing you could have done would have stopped his trail of destruction. It was **his** fault that he went after M-Merlin," she paused to take a breath, "and it was his fault that he drank too much that his body couldn't keep up with him, so neither of you will place this blame on yourselves, is that understood? No one could have helped that vile excuse of a man, he was doomed for death, and that is neither of your faults."

Merlin and Will looked up at each other, both starting to feel happy that the other was there, and tried to push back the lingering guilt to deal with later.

Will unwound his arms, and Hunith was there in an instant, trying not to cry on his girls shoulder. Merlin gripped her mother's arms and pulled her back to look into her eyes.

"I am okay now, Mother, see, he can't hurt me anymore just like you said. I'm okay." She reassured, knowing that even though her mother knew she was going to be okay, didn't stop her from feeling worried.

"I know, dear, I know, but don't think you're leaving this house without me knowing where you are going, even after you have recovered!"

Merlin sighed good-naturedly, sensing her mother was going to be clingy for a great period of time.

"Of course mother." She smiled before she was interrupted with a yawn.

"Lay back down, Merlin, we'll both be here when you wake up." Will helped her get comfortable.

Not finding the strength to protest, she lied down with no argument, and felt the tides of sleep take her under in no time.

**W&M**

"Did you want to talk about it?"

It was a few weeks after the incident, when Merlin and Will sat in their tree, looking out over their village. They hadn't had the chance to talk about that night, not while Merlin was recovering and Will still had work to do around the village. But now, that Merlin was better and they had a moment to themselves, they had all the time in the world.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I don't want to burden you with what happened." Merlin mumbled as she snuggled further into Wills side.

"You don't need to worry 'bout that Merlin," he replied as he ran a hand through her hair, "I want to know, I want to help."

He looked across her body. Her face had cleared up slightly, her nose no longer at an odd angle, but multiple cuts and bruises still lingering on her cheeks, forehead and lips. Her torso, not that he could see it now, still had the marks of fists and boots, but they were just about healed. She was lucky, their local physician had declared, that no bones had been broken. Hunith, Will and Merlin all knew it was because of her magic, but they decided to kept that knowledge to themselves, thank you very much. Her legs had never really been injured, but she did walk with a slight limp from the pressure that had been on her pelvis. He shook his head, Merlin was so lucky that she wasn't worse off.

"It's just…it was so close, you know? He was so close to-" she cut off here, seemingly unable to say those dreaded words, "but my magic seemed to have a mind of its own, I didn't even call upon it, its just seemed to shoot out of my body. Thank the gods it did though…I didn't realise at the time how much I needed it." Merlin stopped, and took a breath.

Will knew that she needed time to mull through her thoughts, and what happened that night, so he patiently waited for her to continue, and held onto her tighter.

"I just felt so scared," she continued, "that no one was coming to help, that no one knew I was out their, that no one look until morning, until it was too late. But…you did. You did what I should known you would do and you looked for me, you found me and you saved me," Merlin turned her body so she was looking at him straight on, "I love you, Will, so much, and I know that you love me too, but you will never know how glad I am that you came for me that night."

Will lent forward and placed his lips gently on her forehead, lingering for a few seconds before sitting back in his own space, but not without his hand clasped tightly in hers.

"Merlin, I do love you, and I don't believe that you could ever imagine how much, but I don't know what I would have done if I didn't find you when I did. If I lost you…" he trailed off, but Merlin understood what he was saying. _If I lost you, I would have lost myself._

"I know, I feel the same."

She gently brought her lips to his, before sliding into her place in his arms, and letting go of a breath she was holding. Life was finally going back to normal, well, as normal as it ever gets for Merlin.

With the squeeze of Wills hands around her waist, she lent back into him and let her eyes slip close, finally feeling at peace.

**W&M**

_Hope you enjoyed. I wasn't planning a sequel but if you guys have any ideas, feel free to let me know!_

_Until next time,_

_the-supernatural-way_


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